Sunday, March 3, 2024

Kingborough Lions and Devonport will feature in the NPL Summer Cup Final next weekend

Photo:  Alfred Hess gets the ball to the waiting Declan Taylor, but Hess was adjudged off-side and the 'goal' didn't count. [PlessPix] 

Clarence Zebras gave South Hobart a few early problems in their NPL Summer Cup clash but eventually succumbed 6-2 to the home side at South Hobart Oval.

Youngster Harrison Oates, who has secured a spot in South Hobart’s senior side in recent weeks, gave his team the lead after just 5 minutes,

Kyle Vincent, signed this season by Clarence Zebras, equalised with a trademark bullet-like finish from range on the right in the 13th minute.

Photo:  Nick O'Connell's vain dive to keep out Kyle Vincent's thunderbolt (ball partially obscured by Clarence Zebras' Jack Maundrill). [PlessPix] 

Vincent then gave the visitors the lead just past the half-hour mark to shock the home side.

But, two easy goals in stoppage time at the end of the first half by Bradley Lakoseljac and Adam Gorrie sent South Hobart in at the break leading 3-2.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Jack Maundrill (right) tries to come to grips with the speed of South Hobart's Adam Gorrie. [PlessPix] 

Nick Morton made it 4-2 after an hour and that was the end of Clarence Zebras.

Again, they lost concentration in the closing minutes of a half and conceded twice in the final three minutes as Sam Berezansky and Hyeon Seo Oh netted to complete a 6-2 win.

Photo:  The two number 14s do battle.  Kingborough's Jaeden Mercure (left) tries to get to the Knights' Jack Glover.  [PlessPix] 

At Lightwood Park, the highly fancied Glenorchy Knights came a cropper.

They had most of the play in the first half, but their finishing was awful and it was goalless at the interval.

Letting the Lions off the hook like that is a bad thing to do, and so it proved.

Noah Mies rose highest in the 58th minute to head home off a post and give the home side the lead.

Six minutes from the end, Knights goalkeeper Josh Jones tried to clear in a tight situation but succeeded only in smashing the ball into the advancing Kobe Kemp and it ricocheted into the net to make it 2-0.

Kingborough thought they had a third when Alfred Hess cut the ball back for Declan Taylor from the goal-line on the right, but Hess was given off-side after a consultation between the referee and his assistant.

Photo:  Referee Brenton Kopra (left) consults his assistant before ruling our a Kingborough 'goal'. [PlessPix] 

The win got Kingborough into the final against Devonport City next weekend, while the Knights meekly threw away their chance of a spot in the final with poor finishing.

Devonport earned their spot in the final with a thumping 6-1 away win over Launceston City.

That sounds ominous for the rest of the NPL teams as the league season approaches.

They fell behind to a 16th-minure goal by Launceston City's Thiery Swaby, but Shogo Umazume equalised 6 minute before the break.

Fellow Japanese import Riku Ichimura then went on to score a hat-trick, while Brody Denehy netted Devonport's remaining two goals.

Riverside Olympic and Launceston United played out a goalless draw on Friday night.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I’d be interested to hear thoughts on that goal. Clearly ball was played by a knights defender to Hess. Does the ref have to look back to see who played it prior to that?
At the time it seemed that Kopra thought it was play on, I’m wondering what changed his mind.

Anonymous said...

I think Kemp was in offside position when he received the ball and played it into the box before the ball got played to Hess. The AR had his flag up from that moment and that's the offside I think he was calling. That's how I saw it as well as a spectator.

Anonymous said...

Zebras conceded 4 goals in the injury time periods of both halves .Seems to be a fitness problem which in turn can influence concentration. I thought they played some good football especially in the first half but no match for the expensive South Hobart outfit

Anonymous said...

In 30 years following the local game - I have never seen a Juve team with such limited quality and depth.
You’d be better off blooding young players this season.

Anonymous said...

I’m fairly certain that’s what they’re actually doing, judging by their lineup. They looked mostly like kids/Championship players.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I think Launceston city have a fair few 21s in their NPL squad from last season

Anonymous said...

Club is stuffed ,merged and still in trouble